Whether copper, indium, germanium, or the recently more well-known rare earths: certain metals and minerals are not available as primary raw materials in the European Union. To meet industrial demand, raw material imports are therefore necessary, the security of which has been threatened in recent years by a continuously increasing global demand, significant price fluctuations, and national trade restrictions. In addition to the established buyers of such metals and minerals in the European internal market, such as those from the automotive industry or mechanical engineering, manufacturers of solar and wind power systems, electric vehicles, or semiconductor products will also increasingly rely on a secure and affordable raw material supply to remain globally competitive in the development of future technologies. Claas Oehlmann examines this in his policy analysis.